4% of parents would take their child out of school for more than 14 days during term time.
Two thirds (70%) of British parents would be willing to take their child out of school during term time, new research has revealed.
The survey, conducted by villa holiday tour operator, Villa Plus, found that of the 19million families in the UK, over 13million would happily take their child out of school during term time for a holiday or family engagement.
The study also looked at how long parents think it’s acceptable to take their child out of school for. 50% think between 1-7 days is acceptable, 14% think up to 14 days is acceptable and 4% would take their child out for more than 14 days.
When asked to provide comments on the reasons for taking their child out of school, the top responses were: a few days doesn’t hurt, travel is just as important as education, some parents don’t have a choice when they take holidays and it’s cheaper.
On the other hand, some parents believe children have enough holidays and that too much learning is missed if they are taken out of school and it should only be for medical reasons or bereavements.
The parents were also asked if they would challenge a fine for taking their child out of school with 47% admitting that they would. Many say the fine is cheaper than the additional cost of taking the child on holiday during peak holiday periods while others believe it should be judged on a case by case basis and not a blanket rule for everyone.
75% of people in Bristol wouldn’t challenge a local authority-imposed school fine. 37% of people in Leeds would, compared to 58% of people in Cardiff. 8% of Birmingham think it’s ok to take a child out of school for more than 14 days.
When it comes to age, the over 65s are more lenient than their younger counterparts with 10% admitting they think it is OK to take their child out for more than 14 days and 50% for between 5-14 days. 19% of 35-44-year-olds and 32% of 55-64s think it is never acceptable. Only 42% of over 65s would challenge a fine though, compared to 53% of 25-34-year-olds.
Anna Cole, a secondary school teacher commented: “In general, a few days to a younger child who doesn’t have exams etc is OK and is probably quite beneficial in terms of new experiences, family time. Some local authorities are stricter than others in terms of how they fine parents, the schools have no control over this whatsoever however many teachers still believe the old system of schools’ discretion was fair.”
Simon Lifford, Head of Sales and Marketing from Villa Plus, commented on the findings: “Parents taking children out of school during term time has been a popular topic of discussion since the introduction of the local authority-imposed school fine so here at Villa Plus, we wanted to look at what people really thought of it and their attitudes towards challenging fines they might receive.
“It seems from the research that most parents have quite a relaxed view, particularly for 1-7 days and that the consensus is that fines should be considered on a case by case basis. Family experiences are considered valuable by both parents and teachers alike and alongside a comprehensive education, a balance of the two will ensure youngsters have a rich and meaningful childhood.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
